North Queensland residents are on high alert as Tropical Cyclone Jasper looks set to affect the coast between Cooktown and Townsville by mid-next week.
Cyclone Jasper has intensified into a category four system with sustained winds of 195km/h and gusts up to 270km/h.
"This is a strong system," the Bureau of Meteorology's Sarah Scully said.
It was about 1200km off Cairns on Friday and slowly tracking southwards.
"We can't rule out over the next 12 hours or so that it may intensify into a category five as the atmospheric conditions are supportive of tropical cyclone development," Ms Scully said.
The large system's course has sparked contingency plans for the bureau's Willis Island station, about 450km off Cairns in the Coral Sea.
Four staff members are set to leave, with the station in Cyclone Jasper's path.
"We are putting in firm plans to look at what we do with them over the coming days, with decisions to be made on them over the course of today," the bureau's Dave Grant told reporters.
A bureau spokesperson told AAP the remote station was built to withstand a category five cyclone but staff safety was the priority.
🌀Latest track map for Severe Tropical Cyclone Jasper. Jasper has been upgraded to category 4, and is expected to weaken slightly and turn west over the weekend. — Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) https://t.co/abjo0qiR5X pic.twitter.com/87BLXsT4pkDecember 7, 2023
It is believed a rescue helicopter is on standby but a decision had still not been made on whether to evacuate staff by late Friday.
Jasper is set to weaken at the weekend but is expected to intensify again into a severe tropical cyclone as it approaches the north Queensland coast next week.
A cyclone watch - a warning issued when impact is expected within 24 and 48 hours - could happen as early as Sunday.
It is expected to weaken to a category two by Monday.
"We can't rule out that it is going to re-intensify before making landfall," Ms Scully said.
"However there is high uncertainty with this system and it's really important that you stay up to date with our latest forecasts and warnings."
Ms Scully said winds between Townsville and Mackay across coastal waters would start to strengthen by Saturday and heavy showers were forecast from Monday.
She urged people who lived between Townsville and Cooktown to review their tropical cyclone plan.
The system is the first tropical cyclone to form in Queensland waters in December in an El Nino year.
"It's unusually early for Queenslanders," Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan said of Cyclone Jasper's arrival.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy says the disaster centre is on alert level for Jasper. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)
"Cyclones can obviously have devastating impacts on community, property and life.
"This is not a practice. This is not a drill. This is the real deal ... continue to pay attention to authorities."
Severe heatwave conditions in the far north and southwest are set to ease as the cyclone approaches, bringing widespread showers next week.
"Tropical Cyclone Jasper is quite a large system," the bureau's Laura Boekel said.
"Which means that it does have quite a lot of cloud bands associated with that, bringing showers, rain and thunderstorms."
The state disaster centre had been moved to alert level, Queensland Police's Acting Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy said.Â
Preparations are in place with local and district disaster co-ordinators spanning Mackay to Cairns.Â
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